Week 3 delivered some good things and plenty of bad things for Florida State, but one of the brightest pieces of the offense finally found his footing during the 2026 season last week in Tuscaloosa. Senior receiver Duce Robinson recorded a season-high 135 receiving yards and one touchdown against one of the strongest teams on the schedule, and finding a way to build upon the success is going to be key for Florida State.
Florida State needs to keep Duce Robinson heavily involved on offense at all costs
Offense and the Seminoles have not exactly worked hand-in-hand this season, as 31.3 points per game is good enough for the 11th spot in the ACC. Getting into the end-zone is not necessarily the problem, but consistently moving the football without serious concern is the real issue.
Quarterback Ashton Daniels joined Florida State through the transfer portal this past offseason after playing for Auburn in 2025. Daniels won the starting role with the Seminoles for the 2026 season, but his performances have not necessarily satisfied the fans or the staff. Florida State looks trapped on offense at times when Daniels makes mistakes or struggles to move the team down the field, but the Seminoles might have a solution to the problem regardless of who the quarterback is.
Coach Mike Norvell was certainly praising Daniels a bit too much despite multiple costly interceptions and misthrows against Alabama. Norvell seems confident in Daniels moving forward, and the best way to help Daniels is by creating more ways to get the football to Robinson in the open field.
Last season with Florida State, Robinson snagged 56 receptions for 1,081 yards and six touchdowns, which is good enough for 19.3 yards per reception. There is certainly a difference in play-style and ability between Daniels and the 2025 starting quarterback, Tommy Castellanos. However, Norvell and the Seminoles need to find a way to bring that version of Robinson back, and his success against Alabama proved the slow start is not necessarily his fault.
Robinson is a talented and massive receiver with his 6-foot-6 frame that towers nearly every defensive back tasked with covering him. Robinson is basically a guaranteed mismatch, and his homerun ability is what could give Florida State a chance to play more competitive football in 2026.
Obviously, Robinson is a dangerous weapon on the field with his impressive size and skills, but the issue is that the receiver is on track to pull in 43 receptions this season. Whether it is an issue with Daniels not hitting Robinson enough or Norvell failing to generate plays for the receiver, something needs to change in order to prevent the Alabama performance from going to waste.
Robinson has found the most success in his collegiate career when facing single coverage, and getting Robinson into more one-on-one situations is going to be key moving forward. The receiver had just four games in 2025 where he did not have a reception of 30 or more yards, and that success was a product of putting Robinson on an island. Additionally, Robinson recorded 100 or more receiving yards in three of Florida State's five wins last season, which is not a coincidence.
For Norvell, getting Robinson into a groove moving forward is going to be key to keeping the offense dynamic. Florida State had plenty of success moving the football through the air against Alabama, and without that success, the game would have been lost if the team had to rely on the run game alone.
With the size, strength, and skills of Robinson, the receiver is a quarterback's best friend, and Florida State needs to take advantage of that with a struggling Daniels at the helm.
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